An exhaustively researched "man-behind-the-monster" look at Joseph Stalin and his court. At 800 pages, there is ample room for personal and anecdotal information about Stalin -- down to his musical preferences -- as well as the gory details of the vicious politics and sexual quirks of the cast of characters that made up Stalin's political family. The lengthy volume includes new archival material, interviews with surviving figures of the era, and 24 pages of maps and photos. Montefiore has also written a biography of Prince Grigory Potemkin.  (RUS228, $19.95)